Jesus healed many people as well as performed numerous miracles. We’re going to talk about a miracle or two but mostly we’re going to focus on healing.
Scripture tells us that signs and miracles accompany those who believe. Look at what he said right before his ascension into heaven.
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mar 16:17-18 WEB)
And signs do get people’s attention.
After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. (Joh 6:1-2 WEB)
More than that, Scripture teaches us that signs confirm the word that is taught.
They went out, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. (Mar 16:20 WEB)
Before we get into the miraculous power of Jesus, it’s important to look at the warning about that power that is in Scripture. Even miracles won’t convince some people. Look at this.
But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again, “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.” (Joh 12:37-40 WEB)
The adversary is always at work to the point that the miraculous happens, but some people are so blinded they can’t believe what they’ve seen. That’s what those verses say.
And Scripture holds another warning in that there are false signs and wonders of which we must be aware.
even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2Th 2:9 WEB)
Scripture gives a test, I call it the fruit test, to help determine whether something is of God or the adversary.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. (Mat 7:15-18 WEB)
We read about a test to determine the fruit of the flesh (adversary) versus the fruit of the spirit in Galatians.
Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. Let’s not become conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another. (Gal 5:19-26 WEB)
Wow! What a contrast! The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. On the other side of that, the fruit of the flesh is seen in these deeds: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
So, after we see a sign, miracle, or wonder, we’re looking for more love, joy, peace, and the other fruit of the spirit. But, if as the result of a miracle we see the devilish side, sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, outbursts of anger, etc., we’ve got to think that that was not a miracle from God.
It is just so awesome to look at these records about the awesome power of God, and the incredible ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
With these miracles and healings, I will also talk about what Jesus did and said, as well as what he didn’t do, such as pray, anoint with oil, and things like that.
Jesus’ first recorded miracle is changing water into wine in the Gospel of John chapter 2.
Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” They filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it. (Joh 2:7-8 WEB)
Notice that Jesus spoke this miracle into being.
His next miraculous event, a healing, concerns the son of a nobleman. In the next example, the nobleman begged Jesus to come, assuming, presumably, that Jesus had to be present for the miracle to happen.
Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him, and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. As he was now going down, his servants met him and reported, saying “Your child lives!” So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house. This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come out of Judea into Galilee. (Joh 4:46-54 WEB)
Notice about this one that Jesus didn’t lay hands on the child, anoint him with oil, or anything like that. He just spoke to miracle into being.
The beginning of the gospel of Mark is jampacked full of miracles. First, Jesus delivers a man with an unclean spirit. Then, Peter’s mother was sick, and Jesus took her by the hand, and the fever left her immediately and she went to work feeding them. Well, the word about all that came out, and people started coming around right and left. And Jesus healed them of sicknesses and delivered them from spirits.
They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” The report of him went out immediately everywhere into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area. Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her, and she served them. At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick, and those who were possessed by demons. All the city was gathered together at the door. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him. (Mar 1:21-34 WEB)
Notice there is no mention of anointing with oil, or even praying over them. Jesus simply spoke, although to the spirits in the unclean people he spoke to the spirits, and he didn’t allow the demons to speak. This record says the number was many, so we have no idea how many that is, but what incredible power!
In the next example will see that Jesus touches someone, but it’s not described as laying on of hands, and certainly not anointing with oil. What’s remarkable about this touching is that Jesus touches a leper which is a no-no in that culture. This ex-leper had faith.
A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.” Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean. (Mar 1:40-42 WEB)
In this next example Jesus offers to go to the sick person. But, the centurion, who knows how authority works in the army, tells him that he knows how authority works and all Jesus had to do was speak the word, which he did. The centurion had faith.
When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him, and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and tell another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and tell my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to those who followed, “Most certainly I tell you, I haven’t found so great a faith, not even in Israel. I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way. Let it be done for you as you have believed.” His servant was healed in that hour. (Mat 8:5-13 WEB)
In this next example, we see the impact of a person’s friends’ faith in enabling healing for a paralytic. We also see the relationship between sickness and sin in some cases of disease. While it is not necessarily because we have done a particular sin, we get sick because there is sin in the world and our lives and thus we can’t be unaffected by sin.
Immediately many were gathered together so that there was no more room, not even around the door; and he spoke the word to them. Four people came, carrying a paralytic to him. When they could not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the paralytic was lying on. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you reason these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?’ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I tell you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house.” He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” (Mar 2:2-12 WEB)
Jesus is manifesting all kinds of spiritual power here. He forgives the paralytic’s sins. He perceived in his spirit, that is, he received revelation about what the scribes were thinking. He teaches directly to them about their thoughts, asking whether it’s easier to say your sins are forgiven, or rise, take up your mat, and go to your house. And then, in the Scripture, says, “that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”, he tells the man to get up and walk. The man took up his mat immediately, and went out in front of them.
In the next example, Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath day. This is another example where Jesus is able to perceive what some of his distractors are thinking. Notice, however, that the presence of these distractors does not stop the miracle.
He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had his hand withered. They watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. He said to the man who had his hand withered, “Stand up.” He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath day to do good, or to do harm? To save a life, or to kill?” But they were silent. When he had looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored as healthy as the other. (Mar 3:1-5 WEB)
Again, Jesus did not anoint with oil, and he did not pray for the sick person. He simply spoke the miracle into being. He told the man to stretch out his hand, and the man obeyed. When the man obeyed his hand was restored.
In this next example, there are many people with touching involved. But it wasn’t Jesus laying hands or anointing with oil. The people themselves just sought to touch him, and in touching him, they received healing.
For he had healed many, so that as many as had diseases pressed on him that they might touch him. The unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, “You are the Son of God!” He sternly warned them that they should not make him known. (Mar 3:10-12 WEB)
I find it very interesting that “he sternly warned them”. Jesus’s business was to make the kingdom of God known. But he also was just trying to manage his time and ministry. We read in other places that there were so many people that there wasn’t room to move. Also, the people were so pressed around him that he and the apostles did not have a moment’s peace. So, realizing that Jesus never sinned (2 Cor 5:21), it’s not wrong for a minister to manage his time so that he is not overworked and strained beyond capacity.
In this next example, Jesus didn’t touch a sick person, but he did touch something. He touched the coffin of a dead person.
Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.” He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region. (Luk 7:11-17 WEB)
Jesus had compassion! There is nothing said here about the person who received the healing. The person who received the healing couldn’t have believed for it because he was dead. And, the mother doesn’t ask anything, at least according to this record. This miracle is about the graciousness of God. Jesus acted out of compassion.
In this next record, we do see that there is physical contact. But it is not the laying on of hands, nor the anointing with oil. In fact, it’s not Jesus who does the touching.
A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes. For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.” (Mar 5:25-34 WEB)
This is a very interesting record of what Jesus knows. The record says that Jesus knew that power had gone out from him. And he asked his disciples if they knew who touched him. And he really didn’t know because it says he looked around to see who it could have been. The woman was afraid when she saw this because it says she feared and was trembling. But Jesus was reassuring, telling her that her faith had made her whole.
In the next example, we see that there was touch involved again, but it wasn’t laying on of hands or anointing of oil, and there was no praying involved.
Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis. They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!” (Mar 7:31-37 WEB)
Amazingly, Jesus put his fingers in this guy’s ears, and he spat and touched the man’s tongue. Immediately, it says, his ears were opened and the impediment of his tongue was released and he spoke clearly.
We are seeing record after record of the incredible power of God manifested through his only begotten son, Jesus Christ. One thing we need to remember is that Jesus told us that the things that he did we shall be able to do also, and more because he goes to the Father.
Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father. (Joh 14:12 WEB)
Miracles like these have happened in the thousands of years since Christ walked on earth because he is at work constantly with the Father.
The next example is an awesome display of power along with some fabulous teaching on how sin may not be involved in someone’s illness.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him. I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the mud, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came back seeing. The neighbors therefore, and those who saw that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and begged?” Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were saying, “He looks like him.” He said, “I am he.” They therefore were asking him, “How were your eyes opened?” He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud, anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received sight.” (Joh 9:1-11 WEB)
This record starts with the teaching that this man was not blind because of his sin or his parent’s sin. That is important teaching. Because we just can assume that somebody has an affliction therefore they caused that themselves, or their parents did or their parents before them and that is not necessarily true, and here is an example where it is not true. Sin and sickness came into the world way before we were born. People are born with all kinds of physical problems and propensities toward physical problems, and it’s not up to us to judge them based on the hand that they were dealt.
Notice also that there was no anointing with oil, there was no laying on of hands, but there was physical touch. Jesus said he could only do what he saw the Father leading (John 5:19). In this case, Jesus was led to spit on the ground make a little mud, and put it on the man’s eyes. By now we should be starting to get the idea then that how these things develop completely depends upon how the spirit leads.
The next example again teaches about how healing is not limited by the Sabbath. Jesus uses the example that in the law people were commanded that even on a Sabbath day they should free a beast of burden that had fallen into a pit (Exodus 23:4-5). If a beast of burden should be freed on the Sabbath, then how much more should a believer be able to be delivered on the Sabbath!
He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day. Behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and she was bent over, and could in no way straighten herself up. When Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God. The ruler of the synagogue, being indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the multitude, “There are six days in which men ought to work. Therefore come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day!” Therefore the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each one of you free his ox or his donkey from the stall on the Sabbath, and lead him away to water? Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound eighteen long years, be freed from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were disappointed, and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. (Luk 13:10-17 WEB)
Notice how long this woman had her infirmity. She had it for 18 years! You or I can have a disability for decades, and it can still be healed by the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Now, if you are keeping track, not once did Jesus anoint with oil, pray over people, or lay hands on people although he did touch some of these people in different ways. For the most part, Jesus spoke the miraculous into being. Jesus followed the leading of the spirit. The spirit sometimes even told him what others around him were thinking. The spirit led him to say things and do things like make mud with spit and apply it to someone’s eyes. Each case was unique. What he did in one instance didn’t necessarily apply to the next.
John says at the end of his gospel that there are so many things that Jesus did there would be books enough to hold them.
There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written. (Joh 21:25 WEB)
Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Jesus healed people. He walked, listening to the Father, acting out of compassion, manifesting great power. And Jesus heals people today.
© copyright 2024 Mark W Smith, All rights reserved. Last edited 1/10/24